I look forward to cold weather every year, and not just because I live through August in Kansas! One very important reason is meal planning. I have a rotation of soups that have been tested over the years that are perfect for cold weather. All these recipes make a large quantity, especially for two people. After serving an hearty meal with apple slices or carrot sticks and crackers or cornbread, I freeze the remaining soup to be used those days I get home a few minutes before dinner time.
My rotation of soups include red chili, potato soup, pinto bean soup, taco soup and green chili with chicken. I am not a vegetarian but I just don’t care for a lot of meat, especially beef or pork. Thus, I use a great variety of beans, dried and canned. My red chili and taco soup use either ground beef or ground turkey but is diluted with tomatoes and beans. Cornbread, baked in a cast iron skillet, is my preferred “bread” with the soups. I am a quilter, not a cook, so Jiffy mix with an addition of grated cheese or green chilies is my favorite recipe.
What do you need if you serve soup from a steaming pot on the stove or from the micro wave? Protection for your hands!! The microwave and stove are several steps away from our table. In order not to spill the hot soup, I use a potholder made especially for bowls—the “Microwave Bowl”.
These simple bowl holders do not heat up in the microwave. So you may put your cold soup in the bowl, the bowl in the fabric holder, heat the soup and pick the bowl up by holding the “ears” that protrude.
It is very important that all the materials used are made of 100% cotton. The smallest amount of polyester can heat and perhaps cause a fire.
We have used many different fabrics–the interior is usually a coordinating solid. College theme–especially KSU and KU fabrics are popular as well as holiday fabrics. One year I used book prints to make gifts for book club members.
The bowls make great stocking stuffers or hostess gifts. The bowls can be filled with candy or cookies to make them extra special. Each one is $8.
This time of the year, we spend a lot of time thinking about tables–what we will put on them for the holiday meals, how we will decorate them for guests, or how many people can be comfortably seated?
The Quilters at First have two new options for decorating your table in-between meals. Sorry, we can’t help you with your meal plans or magically enlarging your table for extra place settings. But we do have two very different holiday table runners.
Snowballs in different Christmas and winter prints are quilted with an overall holly leave and berries pattern. The runner is 21″ x 50″ and is $50.
Turn the table runner over and you have a completely different look. Christmas ribbon print is used as backing, so you really get two for the price of one.
The second table runner is more subdued.
“Adoring” a line of Moda fabrics by Sandy Gervais was used. The backing is yardage of one of the prints.
The fabric used on the back has a silky feel but is 100% cotton. The runner is 19″ x 34″ and is for sale for $40.
Speaking of tables–Open Door Community Food Ministry is holding it’s annual Turkey Drive on the 20th, 21th, and 22nd of November to help low income families have food on their tables this holiday. Last year 2,300 families were helped. It is my belief that helping with this community effort results in your table, gathering, or meal (even soup) more special than usual!
Enjoy these cooler evenings with a bowl of hot soup on a table decorated for the holidays. Happy Thanksgiving.
Quilts, Etc. 